The Federal Government has estimated that the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) will cost N97 per litre, as it had promised to provide alternatives to the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, for poor Nigerians.
According to a report from The Nation, the disclosure was made by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, while carrying out an inspection of the Autogas Dispensing Station and conversion exercise in Abuja.
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The criticism and protest that greeted the sharp increase in the pump price of petroleum products in September prompted the Federal Government to announce its plans for calibrating vehicles and power generating plants for gas fueling free of charge in October.
This is also in line with the promise of intensifying efforts to provide Nigerians with Autogas to reduce the impact of rising cost of petrol, and conforms with President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to introducing gas as a better fuel for Nigerians.
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The Executive Secretary of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Abdulkadir Saidu in a statement, said the Autogas Dispensing Station and Conversion Inspection Exercise took place at the NNPC Autogas Dispensing facility Jahi and Autolady Garage in Abuja, where some government official vehicles were being converted from petrol use.
The Minister expressed his satisfaction with the conversion process so far and charged conversion centers to make vehicle and user safety a priority during the process. He added that his vehicles and some in the President’s fleet would soon be converted as well.
Mr. Abdulkadir Saidu stated that the government would ensure that autogas would soon be made available to people all over the country.
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He said, “Nigerians can rest assured of the Government’s undying commitment to providing a cheaper and cleaner alternative to PMS, as prices have been on an upward climb in recent months following the deregulation of the downstream sector.
“Aside from the fact that autogas is cheaper, we are also concerned about making the conversion of cars affordable so that Nigerians can indeed reap the advantage of this new policy.”
The PPPRA boss, after the inspections, also disclosed that some filling stations across the country were already keying in to the plan by adding Autogas dispensers to their stations.
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He urged Nigerians to embrace Autogas, as gas-powered vehicles are cheaper and more environmentally friendly than any other fuel available on the market today.
He also noted that the majority of vehicles built in the last two decades are well suited to conversion for dual-fuel applications, therefore it is safe for all Nigerians willing to convert their vehicles.
